A Mother's Love
by Icy Seabastial
Summary: At a very young age Atem had lost his mother. In fact, he was so young he could hardly remember her. Now back with his friends and in a new body of his own, he begins experiencing unusual behavior changes and his friends begin to worry for his safety. Why is Atem suddenly having strange dreams of the past? Who is the mysterious figure he keeps seeing in them? Warnings inside.
1. Prologue

**Hey y'all! Welcome to A Mother's Love! This is my second Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic, and one where I can put one of my own headcanons into play! You see, I developed this headcanon a few days ago, and to me it just makes sense! Remember how Atem was able to use that extremely powerful spell to seal himself and Zorc into the Millennium Puzzle? Well, it never says where he learned that spell, and the Millennium Puzzle (or Millennium Pendant as it was known in Ancient Egypt) only provides a few powers.**

**I also noticed that the majority of magic seems to be held by Duel Monsters, and that's when this headcanon of mine appeared: What if Atem was half Duel Monster!? That would explain how he could pull off such a powerful spell and also why he can withstand the Shadow Realm so well (as in my mind even those who have mastered their Millennium Items would eventually have a hard time withstanding it since they're still only human). This idea of mine grew and I just had to put it into a fanfic!**

**Anyways, onto the warnings and all that shit!**

**Warnings: mentioned mpreg, mentioned character death, swearing**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story plot and the headcanon**

_A small child, no more than three years of age, sat by the river near his home. The young boy was an Egyptian prince; his home a palace. But despite what one would expect of someone brought up as royalty, the boy was not spoiled or bratty. He had a kind heart and was more curious than anything, preferring to go exploring rather than his lessons despite knowing his guardian Mahad will have a fit about it._

_Like others in his kingdom the young prince was tanned, his skin a nice bronze color. His hair was wild and untamed, black as the kohl on his eyes with magenta tips and blonde bangs, some of which were wild as well and defied gravity by sticking up with the rest of his hair. His eyes, so full of wonder and awe, were the color of oxblood, a strange mix of purple and red. He wore an outfit typical of royalty, though his feet were bare as he dipped them in the Nile and giggled as fish nibbled his toes._

"_There you are my prince!" said a voice. The young prince turned to spot his guardian and one of his closest friends approaching him. "Mahd!" said the three-year-old, giggling. Mahad couldn't help but smile and shake his head, his auburn hair flowing past his shoulders and his ice blue eyes holding nothing but respect and friendship for the toddler. "come my prince, the Pharaoh and Queen are worried sick about you..." he said, gently taking the toddler's hand and picking up his shoes before leading him back to the palace._

_As they approached the front door the Pharaoh and several guards exited, Mahad bowing and gently making the young prince bow as well as they passed. Upon straightening back up the toddler's eyes watched the men vanish from sight. "Yt*?" he asked quietly, then perked up and turned as a familiar laugh caught his attention._

"_Do not worry dear, your father is simply going with the guards to catch a lowly thief..." said the figure before him. The young prince's eyes widened cutely and he reached for the figure, walking towards him. "Mwt*! Mwt!" he said, the figure chuckling as he picked up the toddler. "Thank you for finding him Mahad..." said the figure as Mahad bowed. "Of course my queen..." he said, smiling._

_Unlike Mahad and the prince, as well as many others in the kingdom, the queen didn't look 'normal' by anyone's standards. For one thing, the Queen was actually a male, already separating him from other former queens. He did not have bronze or tanned skin, instead his skin was a bright blue like the sky and was covered in strange black markings. His black hair was wild like the prince's, but was worn long to where it almost reached his knees, and his eyes were a bright red, almost like rubies._

"_Mwt!" said the young prince, giggling. The male chuckled and nuzzled him. "You're so full of wonder and curiosity my son... just try not to wander off again, alright my little Kuriboh?" he said, the young prince nodding. "Good... just remember that your father and I love you very much... our little Atem..."_

A gasp was heard and a pair of eyes flew open, their oxblood color seeming to glow in the darkness of the bedroom their owner was in. The owner of the oxblood eyes quickly sat up and looked around the darkened bedroom, then turned to the other bed, which was occupied by the male's younger, paler look-a-like. "A-Aibou?" he asked, watching the other male. The younger male stirred slightly.

"Atem, it's two in the morning... go back to sleep..." he said, curling up into a ball. Atem couldn't help but chuckled at Yugi's antics, then sighed and laid back down. Ever since he had been given his own body and returned to the realm of the living as Yugi's older "twin", the former Pharaoh has been having strange dreams, all about the same mysterious blue-skinned man.

He knew very well what he had called the man in his dreams, but that couldn't be right, could it? Atem had lost his mother when he was three years old, and he hardly remembered her. Surely this man and his mother were not the same person. Perhaps they were connected. Yes, that was what it was. Since Atem couldn't remember what his mother looked like his dreams were replacing her image with that of the man. But why was he having these dreams in the first place? Were they trying to tell him something?

"Atem, you're thinking too loud..." said Yugi, throwing a pillow at his counterpart. Atem let out an "oof" when said pillow fell onto his face and chuckled. "Sorry Aibou..." he said, smiling as he removed the pillow from his face. Yugi laid back down and drifted off back to sleep. Atem smiled softly, putting the dream in the back of his mind as he slowly followed suit.

**And done with the prologue! I'm sorry, I had to have a bit of a brotherly moment between Yugi and Atem. I'm a big shipper of them, but in my headcanon they would be considered more like twin brothers than lovers. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I hope you enjoy the story!**

***- "Yt" and "Mwt", according to my research, are Ancient Egyptian for "father" and "mother" respectively**

**Please R&R!**

**Until next time, Icy is out!**


	2. First Signs

**Hey y'all! Welcome back to A Mother's Love! I'm glad people are beginning to take an interest in the story! I wasn't sure what people would think about my headcanon, but it seems it's piqued people's interest! Does anyone have any guesses as to who the man in Atem's dream was? I already know who it is, but I wanna see if you guys can guess. Anyone who guesses right gets virtual cookies!**

**Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and it's characters belong to Takahashi Kazuki-sama. I only own the story concept and headcanon :P**

Atem yawned, lazily eating his cereal. "Did you not sleep last night Atem?" asked Yugi's grandfather Solomon, looking at the former Pharaoh with a raised eyebrow. "Hmm? Oh, I..." Atem said, unsure of how to answer. "Was it another dream?" asked Yugi, worried for his counterpart. Atem nodded. "That's the 8th one this month alone Atem... are you sure you're alright?" asked Solomon, frowning. "I'll be fine Grandpa... I just... don't understand my dreams..." replied Atem, sighing. For the past several months, ever since he got back, Atem's been having dreams about the same blue-skinned man. He looked familiar to the former spirit, but Atem just couldn't place his finger on where he had seen the figure before.

"Well, I hope you're feeling well enough for school..." said Yugi as he finished his own breakfast. Atem nodded, yawning again. Yugi frowned. "Then again, I could always tell them you're sick so you could stay home and sleep more..." he offered. Atem shook his head. "I'll be ok Aibou... We should get going, or we'll be late..." he said, getting up and grabbing his bag. Yugi hesitantly nodded and they bid Solomon farewell, heading to school and meeting Joey, Tristan, and Téa along the way.

"Dude, you feeling ok? You've got dark circles under your eyes..." said Tristan, instantly taking notice of Atem's tired appearance. "I'm fine... besides, dark circles are nothing a bit of foundation can't fix...*" said Atem, smiling tiredly at his friend. "Atem, we don't like seeing you like this... if something's bothering you-" "I SAID I'M FINE DAMMIT! IF SOMETHING WAS WRONG I WOULD TELL YOU!" the former Pharaoh snapped. His friends backed off, shock written on their faces. Atem sighed. "Let's just-! Just get to school..." he finished tiredly, walking ahead of them.

"... What the hell just happened?" asked Joey, blinking. "I think all the sleep he's losing is finally getting to Atem..." said Tristan, shaking his head. "I don't think so guys... we know Atem, and even when tired he would normally never snap like that!" said Téa, frowning. Yugi sighed. "Well, the past few months he's been having these weird dreams... I think they might be affecting him in some way..." said Yugi, looking at the ground. "Dreams? What kind of dreams?" asked Joey, the three of them all looking at the shorter male.

"Well, I think they might be about the past... all I really know is this..." he said, proceeding to explain about the mysterious blue-skinned man that has seemingly appeared in every dream Atem's had thus far. "Huh... Well, he should know that we're all here for him!" said Joey, grinning. "Joey's right! We're going to help Atem any way we can!" said Tristan. Yugi nodded and they hurried to catch up with the former spirit of the Millennium Puzzle.

School wasn't much better for Atem sadly. While the lessons themselves weren't bad, it was during free time that his mood really soured. He had been reading when he heard what sounded like someone being hurt. His head snapped up and he spun around to find everyone else watching as Kori Kesshō, the school bully, pushed Ryou to the ground.

"Heh, you're so weak!" Kori said, laughing with his friends. Yugi rushed over and put himself between Kori and Ryou as his friend helped Ryou up. "Leave him alone and pick on somebody your own size!" said Yugi, glaring at the taller and much stronger bully. "Nah, picking on shrimps is fun! And guess what? You're next twerp!" Kori said, grabbing Yugi by the front of his shirt and pulling his fist back to punch the shorter male.

A hand suddenly shot out and grabbed Kori's wrist tightly. "HEY!" said Kori, turning to see who had interrupted them. Atem stood there, gripping Kori's wrist while his own head was down, his bangs creating a shadow over his eyes. "Don't. Touch. Him." said the former pharaoh, a low growl heard in his voice. "Or what!? You're no bigger than he is small-" Kori screamed in agony as Atem managed to snap his wrist in one quick movement, the bully releasing Yugi to hold his now broken wrist.

"YOU ASSHOLE! I'LL TEACH YOU A LESSON YOU LITTLE-!" Atem dodged his attack and violently elbowed his stomach, then the Millennium symbol glowed on Atem's forehead. "I SAID LEAVE HIM ALONE!" said Atem, blasting the bully unconscious with a burst of gold and red magic. When it was over he seemed to calm down. "ATEM MUTO! TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE IMMEDIATELY!" said the teacher, who had just walked in and witnessed the end of the scuffle.

Atem tiredly sighed and grabbed his bag, slinging it over his should as he left the room. _Atem... what's going on with you? _Yugi asked himself, frowning with worry as he watched his older look-a-like leave. Something was happening to his friend, and he was determined to find out what.

**Done! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Again, feel free to give me guesses about who you think the mysterious figure is! Free virtual cookies to whoever guesses right!**

***- I follow the headcanon that Atem still wears make-up like everyone did back in Ancient Egypt.**

**Until next time, Icy is out!**


	3. New Friend

**Hey y'all! Welcome back to A Mother's Love! I'm honestly surprised at how well you guys are liking the story! And I thought my silly little headcanon was stupid. Guess not XD. I still have virtual cookies available too! :3 Anyways, let's see if we can't figure out what's up with Atem!**

**Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and it's characters belong to Takahashi Kazuki-sama. I only own this fanfic's plot and the headcanon.**

"You got suspended for a week!?" asked Solomon in shock. Yugi and Atem had just gotten home from school, the three of them in the living room. Atem sighed, rubbing his face. "I'm sorry Grandpa... I just... I don't know what came over me..." he said, looking at the ground sadly. Yugi frowned, noting just how tired the older teen looked. Solomon sighed. "I guess it couldn't be helped... perhaps you could use the time to catch up on your sleep..." he said, crossing his arms.

Atem nodded. "Yes Grandpa..." he said quietly. "Now then, why don't you two get started on supper while I take inventory in the shop?" asked Solomon, getting up. "Sure thing Grandpa!" said Yugi, taking Atem to the kitchen. "Ok, so what do you want to make for supper Atem?" asked Yugi, looking at the former Pharaoh. "As long as it's not batarekh, I'm good..." said Atem, making a face at mentioning the fish dish. Yugi laughed and gathered things to make spaghetti.

Soon supper was ready and they all sat down to eat. "So, besides the little 'incident', did anything else happen today?" asked Solomon. "Kaiba showed up to give a lecture to the freshman class..." said Yugi. "Oh? Well I certainly hope he didn't scare the poor youngsters!" said Solomon, laughing. Yugi laughed as well while Atem managed a tired smile. After supper Atem and Yugi sat in the living room to do their homework, Atem nodding off occasionally.

"Atem, if you're tired you're free to go to bed..." said Yugi, noticing. The former spirit shook his head. "I have to finish my homework..." he said, jerking himself back awake. He jumped when Yugi suddenly slammed his book shut. "Absolutely not! You're getting some sleep now!" said Yugi, grabbing Atem's arm and pulling him upstairs to their room. Atem sighed and decided not to argue as Yugi made him lay in bed. "Sleep..." said Yugi, covering his counterpart with the blanket.

Atem watched as Yugi left, then slowly sighed. _Perhaps Yugi and the others are right... maybe getting some sleep will do me some good... _he thought, getting up and changing into his pajamas. He then laid back down and curled up under the blankets. After a bit he slowly fell asleep, another dream taking shape in his mind.

"_Pwetty!" said three-year-old Atem, giggling as Mahad's Ka, the Illusion Magician, performed some magic for him. Mahad watched from nearby as the young prince and the male figure from before sat on the floor and watched the mage. "Do you like the magic my little Kuriboh?" asked the blue-skinned male, chuckling when Atem nodded happily._

"_Magic! Magic!" said Atem, his eyes wide with awe when the older male summons some of his own magic, the magic black and blue like his skin. "Someday you too will be able to use magic Atem... and as my son, I just know you'll be a very powerful mage and pharaoh..." the figure said, smiling softly as Atem tried to grab the magic, pouting when his hand went right through it. Atem tried again, pouting more._

"_I fear you cannot touch it my son... Hmm... I wonder..." said the figure, thinking out loud. He then began to use his hands to shape the magic and morph it, Atem watching with wide eyes. Soon the black and blue magic burst, causing Atem to temporarily cover his eyes in fright. Once he removed his hands he cooed in awe as the magic had made a small monster before him, the monster nothing more than a brown fuzzball with green hands and feet, sharp claws, and big cute yellow and purple eyes._

_The creature cooed cutely and snuggled up to the young prince, who giggled and hugged it. "His name is Kuriboh, and he will act as your friend and guide, just like Mahad..." said the blue-skinned male, smiling. "Kuri! Kuri!" said Atem, giggling. He got up and ran over to Mahad, carrying the creature much like he did with the numerous cats around the palace. "Mahd! Kuri!" Atem said, showing Mahad the fuzzy creature. "I see my prince! It's very cute!" said Mahad as his own Ka vanished back into it's tablet. The blue-skinned male smiled softly at the sight._

Atem's eyes shot open and he shot into a sitting position. Looking around he rubbed his face. _Another dream? Why am I having them!? Who is that man!? ... Why is he so familiar? _He asked himself, sighing and laying back down. Looking over he saw Yugi in his own bed and saw it was 10 at night. He sighed and turned over to face the wall. After what felt like forever he fell back into a restless sleep.

**And Kuriboh enters the mix! XD I love Kuriboh, he's so damn cute! But it looks like we got another piece of the puzzle to put into place. Hmm... things are not what they seem...**

**Please R&R!**

**Until next time, Icy is out!**


	4. Lashing Out

**Hey y'all! Welcome back to A Mother's Love! Hehehehe, I've decided I'm going to add a plot twist into this story. I'm not going to say where, but I will say it involves someone close to Atem. Anyone who guesses it will get a shoutout! It might be a bit hard to guess though, so I'll leave little hints throughout the chapters leading up to the plot twist. And no, the plot twist does not involve the mysterious man. His role will remain the same. Anyhoodles, let's jump in!**

**Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and it's characters belong to Takahashi Kazuki-sama. I only own the plot and the headcanon in this story.**

Atem groaned when the sun shown through the window, covering his head with his blankets. He could hear Yugi already up and getting ready for school. "Atem?" asked Yugi, the older teen moving his covers slightly. "Are you going to be ok while I'm at school?" the amethyst-eyed teen asked, worry evident on his face. "I'll be fine Aibou... you go have fun..." said Atem, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "If you say so... I'll bring back notes and stuff for you, I promise..." said Yugi, hugging his doppelganger and hesitantly heading downstairs.

Atem sighed after a few minutes and got up. He couldn't go to school, but he could at least go out and get his mind off of things. After changing he sat at his table with a mirror on it and applied some foundation and eyeliner. He chalked it up to old habits from 5000 years ago, but even with the strange looks he received from strangers to him a male wearing make-up was perfectly normal. After he was finished he got on his shoes and headed downstairs.

"Grandpa, I'm going to head out for a bit..." he said as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "Alright, don't be out too long!" said Solomon, wiping one of the cases in the shop. Atem nodded as he headed out the door. He took a deep breath of fresh air and smiled slightly, then headed in a random direction. He wasn't sure where he was going, but he knew he needed to clear his head.

He soon found himself downtown, looking at the different shops. _Hmm... perhaps I should buy some new cards for my deck... after all, Yugi did get to keep the one with Dark Magician in it... _he thought, chuckling. He thought about what cards he should get and how he should build his deck. He soon bumped into someone, quickly apologizing. When he finally looked at who he bumped into, he began to wish that he had stayed home.

"Well well, looks who's out and about..." said Kaiba, crossing his arms. His little brother Mokuba and two security guards were with him. "Hey Atem!" said Mokuba, smiling. Atem gave him a small smile and nodded back, then frowned when he looked at Kaiba. "I don't want to deal with your shit today Kaiba... I just got suspended from school and-" "Suspended huh? Well, that's a shock... What did you do? Send someone to the Shadow Realm?" said Kaiba, smirking.

Atem felt himself twitch slightly, feeling a foreign feeling rising in him though he pushed it back. "Well, since you're not in school why don't we duel? You still owe me a rematch..." said Kaiba, his sapphire blue eyes piercing Atem's oxblood colored ones. Atem twitched again. "Kaiba, I don't have my deck with me, and I'm REALLY not in the mood to deal with your bullshit..." Atem said carefully through slightly clenched teeth, the foreign feeling again rising in him as he turned away from the brothers.

Mokuba somehow sensed the former pharaoh's rising tension and tried to calm things down. "Seto, I think you should leave him be for once... you constantly harass him for a rematch-" he said, frowning as Kaiba cut him off. "I'll leave him be once I've won..." the elder Kaiba brother said sternly. Atem visibly twitched, unaware of his pupils turning into slits like a cat's eyes. "Kaiba, leave me alone..." he said lowly, almost in a growling manner. He tried to walk away when Kaiba grabbed his wrist. "Where do you-!?" "I said LEAVE ME ALONE!" Atem snarled, whirling around and literally slashing Kaiba across the face with claw-like nails.

Kaiba let out a cry of surprise and pain, falling hard on the ground and clutching his face as blood flowed from the wounds. "MR. KAIBA!" yelled the security guards, quickly kneeling beside the injured brunette. "SETO!" yelled Mokuba, his eyes wide in shock at what had just occurred. Atem glared down at Kaiba, then closed his and shook his head as he seemed to snap out of his state. Opening his eyes again as they returned to normal he was horrified at the sight before him.

"O-Oh Ra... K-Kaiba, I-I didn't mean-" he started, aware of a crowd gathering around them. "Hey, that guy just attacked Seto Kaiba!" said one bystander in horror. "I know him! He lives with the Mutos!" said another. "What the hell is your problem man!?" said yet another, anger in their voice. Atem glanced at all the people around them, all judging him. "I-I didn't mean... I-I'm sorry..." he said, shakily taking a step back from the Kaibas.

More and more people began to shout at him. He gulped and looked around, feeling sweat run down his face. He felt his heart racing and clutched at his chest as he felt pain. He felt faint, beginning to hyperventilate as he began to feel he was in danger, the situation spiraling out of his control. _NononononononoNONONONONONONONONO! _He spun on his heel and broke through the crowd, running as fast as he could. "Atem, wait!" said Mokuba, watching somewhat sadly as the former spirit ran off. _Atem, what's wrong? _He thought, having noticed the way the older male looked before taking off.

"Mr. Mokuba, we must get your brother to the hospital!" said one of the guards, snapping the black-haired male from his thoughts. "R-right! G-Get him to the nearest hospital!" he said, the guards quickly following his order. He looked back in the direction Atem had gone, then hesitantly followed the guards. _Atem, please be ok... you may not realize it, but you're one of the only people aside from me that Seto puts his complete trust in...I hope this doesn't ruin the friendship you guys have..._

Meanwhile Atem had run all the way back home in tears. He burst through the front door and right past Solomon, who instantly took notice. "Atem!? Atem, what's wrong!?" he asked, the teen ignoring him and running all the way to his and Yugi's room. Atem slammed the door shut and leaned against it, sliding to the floor and sobbing. _RA DAMMIT! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME!? _He asked himself, sobbing again. He had just attacked Kaiba, one of his closest friends. Sure he was annoyed by Kaiba constantly asking for a rematch, but he enjoyed their duels and would never hurt the brunette. He continued sobbing, slowly falling asleep a couple of hours later.

**Done! I feel so bad now... I made Atem attack Kaiba, have a panic attack and cry... I'M SUCH A HORRIBLE PERSON! *cries***

**Until next time, Icy is out**


	5. Answers?

**Hey y'all! Welcome back to A Mother's Love! This is the chapter I'm going to start putting hints about the plot twist I have planned. They're only going to be small hints though, so feel free to guess in your reviews what you think the twist is! Things are going to get more complicated and interesting from here!**

**Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and it's characters belong to Takahashi Kazuki-sama. I only own the plot and headcanon involved in this story.**

"Wait, Atem attacked Kaiba!?" asked Joey, him and the others on the roof of the school as it was free time. Yugi nodded sadly. "I found him in our room yesterday asleep and he looked as if he had been crying... then I saw on the news what happened..." he explained, sighing. "But Atem would never hurt anybody on purpose!" said Duke, not believing what he was hearing. "I don't think he did it on purpose... he's been acting strange since a couple of days ago..." said Tristan, thinking.

"Right... I think that might be the reason he attacked... he wasn't himself..." said Yugi, sighing again. "But he won't talk about it... he's become withdrawn and doesn't want to leave the shop anymore..." he explained, looking at his friends. "Then we'll just have to get him out ourselves!" said Joey, grinning. "But how!? It's not like we can force him!" said Téa, glaring at the blonde slightly. "Easy, the museum! You guys went there back when he had no memories, right? It kinda helped then, maybe it'll help now!" said Joey matter-of-factly. Yugi smiled and stood. "Then what are we waiting for!? Let's go!" he said, hopeful they'll be able to help Atem.

Atem, meanwhile, had locked himself in his and Yugi's room. He was still horrified by what he had done to Kaiba, and he couldn't figure out why he had lashed out. He had begun noticing little things about him changing. They were very subtle, but he noticed them right away. His eyes had become more cat-like, his pupils slits. His nails were more like claws now and when he awake that morning he noticed his teeth were becoming sharper and more canine-like.

_What's happening to me? What am I?_ He asked himself, shaking. He didn't want to hurt anyone else; all he wanted was to know what was happening. He knew it had something to do with his dreams, but he wasn't sure how they were connected. He also knew what was happening to him had something to do with the man he kept seeing in his dreams. He looked up when Yugi came in, signaling school was over.

"Come on Atem, we're going to the museum!" he said, smiling at the older male. "Why?" asked Atem, watching his younger counterpart warily. "Because we might be able to help figure out what's going on with you!" Yugi said, grabbing his look-a-like's hand and pulling him to his feet. Atem thought for a moment. Going to the museum just might help. "Alright Aibou... let's go..." he said hesitantly, smiling slightly when Yugi smiles and leads the way.

They soon arrive at the museum with the others, Atem wearing gloves and sunglasses to not scare the others with his new changes. "You really think coming here can help?" he asked, frowning. "Of course! It helped you regain your memories, didn't it!?" said Joey as they entered the large building. Atem silently agreed, but he was still apprehensive about coming to the museum after what had happened.

They made their way through the museum to the Egyptian Exhibit, which the museum was allowed to keep as long as Ishizu Ishtar was allowed to remain in charge of it. "I had a feeling you would come here..." Ishizu said, spotting the group. "Hey Ishizu! You probably know why we're here too..." said Yugi as they approached her. Ishizu nodded, a serious look on her face.

"We cannot discuss it here in the open... follow me..." she said, leading them down to the offlimits part of the exhibit which displayed the stone tablet depicting Atem's duel with the priest Set. "My Pharaoh, remove the gloves and glasses..." she said, turning back to face them. Atem hesitated, then slowly removed his sunglasses and gloves to reveal his changes. Ishizu stepped forward and examined them closely. "It is just as my Millennium Necklace foretold... you are awakening..." she said.

"Awakening?" asked Joey, confused. "Yes... He is awakening his second nature... Nobody knows how he got this second nature, but we do know that he was supposed to awaken it when he turned 16..." Ishizu explained. "But he never got to because of everything that happened with Zorc..." said Yugi, putting the pieces together. Ishizu nodded. "Well what about-" "The attack on Seto Kaiba? It was not intentional... as Atem is just now awakening he has no control of his second nature's powers and actions..." she explained. "And you said nobody knows how he got it?" asked Téa. Ishizu shook her head. "Well, nobody but my family as we were the Pharaoh's tombkeepers, but we are not allowed to say... though many archeologists and egyptologists believe it has something to do with the Queen..."

Atem's eyes widened, remembering his dreams. "Queen?" asked Tristan, raising an eyebrow. "Atem's mother, wife of Pharaoh Aknamkanon... there have been many stories about how the Queen was different from everyone else in the kingdom, so many believe Atem's second nature stems from her..." Ishizu explained. Atem was meanwhile thinking about his dreams. Was the man he was seeing ACTUALLY his mother? If so, who was he and why was he connected to Atem's second nature? After a while of talking the group bid Ishizu farewell and left.

Later that night, across the city at the Kaiba mansion, Kaiba was resting in his bed with most of his face covered in bandages. He opened his eyes when he felt a presence beside him and looked over, his sapphire eyes meeting a pair of icy blue ones. "Was wondering when you would show up... Mahad..." he said. The amethyst-clad magician before him smiled softly, sitting on the edge of the bed and gently cupping Kaiba's cheek, chuckling as the brunette leaned into his touch.

"Forgive me imi-ib*..." he said, frowning slightly as he gently removed the bandages. He gently traced the scars on the brunette's face, four long scars moving diagonally across Kaiba's face and his left eye having to remain shut because of them. "Atem really hurt you..." he said quietly. Kaiba gently took the mage's hand and kissed the back of it. "I'll be fine my love... I'm more concerned for Atem... I shouldn't have pushed him..." he said, sighing. "Seto, you know Atem did not mean it... he... he cannot control it..." the Dark Magician said, taking off his hat and setting it aside, shifting so he was laying beside Kaiba and laying his head on the brunette's chest.

"I know Mahad... I know..." Kaiba answered, holding the other male close as he closed his eyes. Mahad watched as the taller male fall asleep, gently kissing his cheek before sighing. _Sn**... please, be alright... Mwt would not want this to happen... Not like this... _he thought, slowly falling asleep as well.

**This chappy is done! The hint is also in it, so keep a look out!**

*** "imi-ib" is, according to a fanfic on Archive of Our Own, Ancient Egyptian for "heart of my heart". I also used it in my other Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic, This Ain't No Fairytale.**

**** "Sn" is another Ancient Egyptian word I found in my research, but I will not say what it means or else it would give my plot twist away. It is important to remember it though!**

**If you want the definition of "mwt", look at the first chapter of this story.**

**Please R&R!**

**Until next time, Icy is out!**


	6. Connections

**Hey y'all! Welcome back to A Mother's Love! Remember, I'm going to be giving hints to my plot twist throughout these next few chapters, so be on the look out for them!**

**Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and it's characters belong to Takahashi Kazuki-sama. I only own the plot and headcanon found in this story.**

"_Mwt! Yt!" said three-year-old Atem, running around in search of his mother and father. Mahad was close behind him, as was Set. "My prince, please slow down! We are not even supposed to be out and about with the Wild Ka running around!" said Set, panting. "Atem, please! I'm sure the Pharaoh and Queen are fine!" Mahad added, desperately trying to catch the younger male as they rounded a corner._

"_MWT! YT!" Atem yelled as he ran into the throne room, where his parents were battling a Shadow Ghoul. The ghoul spotted the young prince just as Mahad and Set caught up, roaring and lunging at them as the two older males quickly placed themselves in front of Atem protectively. "NO! LEAVE THEM ALONE!" shouted the blue-skinned man, rushing forward and very quickly scooping up the three children, turning his back to the Shadow Ghoul and using himself as a human shield._

_The green Duel Monster hissed and brought down it's claws, striking the man in the back and knocking him to the floor. "MWT!" cried Atem as he and the two older boys witnessed the older male fall. "HOW DARE YOU STRIKE EGYPT'S QUEEN!" shouted Atem's father, Pharaoh Aknamkanon. "Come forth Illusion Magician! Strike that monster down!" shouted Mahad angrily, his faithful Ka appearing and quickly striking down the ghoul. "My Queen, are you alright!?" asked Set, the three kids and Aknamkanon quickly coming to the red-eyed male's side._

_The man shakily pushed himself into a semi-sitting position, the wound on his back too deep to treat. He weakly looked at Aknamkanon. "M-My love... y-you must do it..." he said, breathing heavily. "And leave you forever trapped like-!?" "Please... I-I will not make it... I-it is the only way to ensure my soul survives..." the man said, then looking at the three boys. "S-Set, Mahad, w-w-watch over Atem for me..." he said. Set kneeled and bowed his head. "Of course my queen..." he said quietly._

_The man nodded and gently gestured Mahad and Atem over. "You two keep each other s-strong, alright?" he said, gently wiping the tears in Atem's eyes. "Mwt! Heal!" said Atem, looking at Mahad. Mahad too had tears in his eyes, but was trying to keep a strong face. "Your magic is not near strong enough, and his wound is too fatal for my own magic..." he said, then kneeled in front of the dying queen. "I promise to protect Atem, both in this life and the next..." he said, bowing his head._

_The blue-skinned male gave a soft smile. "I know you will... and you've done a great job so far these past three years... I'm so proud of you, my little magician..."_

Atem snapped awake and shot upright, panting. _Mahad... he has some sort of connection to all of this! _Atem thought, eyes wide. He wanted to contact the priest turned magician, but looking at the clock he silently groaned. It was nearly midnight, and Atem knew very well that at this time the lavender-haired male would be across town, spending the night with a certain blue-eyed brunette just as the former priest had done 5000 years ago and had been doing again for the past several weeks.

Atem sighed and laid back down, thinking over his dream. The way the man had been attacked was the exact same way the former Pharaoh remembered his mother dying. Maybe the man really was his mother. But just who was the man? Atem knew he looked familiar, but he just couldn't for the life of him remember where else he had seen that man. It was driving Atem insane! Not only that, but now there was the new piece of the puzzle which was Mahad aka the Dark Magician.

_What does he know? What has he been hiding from me for over 5000 years!? How is he connected to the man from my dreams? Is he connected to my second nature as well? _These and many more questions swirled the former spirit's mind, making his head hurt. He sighed and turned over, closing his eyes to go back to sleep and hopefully get his thoughts sorted out. Tomorrow he'll talk to the mage about this, and hopefully get some straight answers for once.

**Done! Gave another little hint to my plot twist! Can y'all figure it out!?**

**Please R&R**

**Until next time, Icy is out!**


	7. Talks

**Hey y'all! Welcome back to A Mother's Love! I've decided I'm going to space out the hints for my plot twist to every other chapter. You guys already have two hints towards it though! The last two chapters each had a hint for you guys to find and piece together! Have you guys found them yet?**

**Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and it's characters belong to Takahashi Kazuki-sama. I only own the plot and headcanon found in this story!**

Atem sighed, stirring the spoon in his coffee. He was out at the moment with Mako, Marik, and Rex, as his other friends were in school and a certain brunette was still recovering from his attack on him. "Atem, you've barely touched your food..." said Marik, gesturing to the former Pharaoh's barely eaten plate of food. "H-Huh? Oh, sorry... I just... have a lot on my mind..." Atem replied, sighing.

Mako looked up and swallowed the food in his mouth, then wrapped an arm around Atem's shoulders and grinned. "Come now my friend! Just because the mighty sea has secrets doesn't mean you should!" he said. "Yeah, we're your friends just as much as Wheeler and them! You can tell us anything! And preferably before we go extinct..." said Rex, leaning back in his chair. Atem couldn't help but smile. "Alright... I've... been having strange dreams..." he slowly said, the three other males listening intently.

"Strange dreams?" asked Rex, raising an eyebrow. Atem nodded. "They're about my past... my childhood 5000 years ago... more specifically, when I was three... I keep seeing this strange man with red eyes and black markings on his blue skin... at first I didn't believe it, but I'm starting to think he was my mother..." Atem began to explain, getting a thoughtful look on his face. "Uh, no offense Atem, I don't know what freaky magic you Ancient Egyptian's had but guys can't get pregnant..." said Rex, frowning.

"Nonsense! There are creatures in the sea where males give birth and even change their sex in order to reproduce!" said Mako smugly. "Dude, we did not need to know that..." said Rex with a blank expression. "Not only that, but with how much magic there is even today, anything is possible..." said Marik, smiling and turning back to Atem, nodding at him to continue. "Anyways, I... witnessed him being attacked in my latest dream... he was protecting me, Mahad, and my cousin Set*... he was struck down by a Wild Shadow Ghoul Ka... just like I remember happening to my mother..." he trailed off, looking at the coffee cup gripped tightly in his hands.

The other three looked at each other with worried expressions. "... Do you... remember anything else?" asked Marik, his lilac eyes watching the former spirit carefully. "... Mahad... he's somehow connected to it all... I don't know how, but I know he has some sort of connection to me and the man in my dreams..." Atem said, frowning. "Who's Mahad again?" asked Mako, tilting his head. "You idiot... Mahad is that priest dude who became the Dark Magician!" said Rex, facepalming.

Atem looked up sharply. "Mahad was not JUST a priest Rex... He was my childhood friend and one of my most loyal subjects... he was like a brother to me..." said Atem sternly. Rex put his hands up in surrender as Marik decided to try to calm his fellow Egyptian down. "Was there anything else?" he asked quietly. Atem took a deep breath and shook his head. "No... at least, not from that dream... I just wish I knew how Mahad fit into all of this and who that man was who might be my mother..." Atem said, sighing.

"Well, have no fear friend! I believe you will find your answers soon enough! After all, not even the great ocean can keep things hidden forever!" Mako said, giving the former Pharaoh a thumbs up. Atem smiled and nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. It felt good to get his thoughts off his chest, especially to his friends. They chatted for a bit longer, then bid each other farewell and went their separate ways.

As soon as Marik was sure the others were gone he gained a serious look and hurried to the museum, heading to the basement once there. "Sister-" "I already know dear brother..." said Ishizu, turning to look at him. "He is awakening..." Marik shook his head. "It's not just his awakening sister... he's remembering the Queen... and he's begun piecing together Mahad's connection as well..." he said, walking to his sister's side and looking up at the tablet that depicted Atem's famous duel with Set.

"I see... does Mahad know?" Ishizu asked. "Most likely not yet, but knowing him he'll know quickly... when do you think he'll tell him?" asked Marik, looking at his sister. "Not yet... he is waiting for the right time... 'Two of magic and mortal blood, one a king, the other his faithful servant... born of the highest status, of chaos and order, both will sacrifice themselves to save the world... when the younger awakens, the older will reveal all...' Is that not what the second prophecy says?" inquired Ishizu, glancing at her brother.

"Ishizu, with all due respect, I think Atem deserves to know... He's waited long enough..." said Marik, frowning. "All in due time dear brother... after all, my Millennium Necklace has already foretold when Atem will be told... it is only a matter of time before Seto Kaiba acts..." Ishizu answered, Marik's head snapping in her direction. "Kaiba? What does he have to do with any of this?" asked Marik. "Have you not learned Marik? History repeats itself..." Ishizu said, closing her eyes. "History always repeats itself..."

**Ok, I lied. I just gave another hint in this chapter XD. I also gave a hint to who Atem's mother is! Can you guys figure it out?**

*** I follow the idea that Atem is fully aware that Set is his cousin.**

**Please R&R!**

**Until next time, Icy is out!**


	8. This Is The Answer!

**Hey y'all! Welcom back to A Mother's Love! Ok, this time I'm going to try not to put a hint towards the plot twist in this chapter. I will, however, put a hint towards Atem's mother in this chapter because I feel I haven't given you guys enough hints towards the identity of Atem's mother. I'm going to try and not give too much away though, as I want you guys to use the hints I give you to figure everything out. Feel free to let me know if you guys have any guesses!**

**Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and it's characters belong to Takahashi Kazuki-sama. I only own the plot and headcanons in this story.**

Atem sighed, looking at himself in the bathroom mirror. His oxblood eyes were cat-like, with claws replacing his nails and canines replacing his teeth. Now his hair was deciding to join in, as it was still wild but it was starting to get longer, already reaching just past his shoulders. He didn't understand any of it. Just what did his 'awakening' entail? If it really did have something to do with his so called 'second nature' he supposedly got from his mother, then just WHAT was his mother?

He jumped at a knock on the bathroom door. "Atem? Are you alright? You've been in there for quite some time..." said Solomon from the other side of the door. "I-I'm alright Grandpa... j-just... thinking..." the former Pharaoh replied, looking at himself in the mirror again. "Well you better hurry, or else you'll be late for school!" said Solomon, walking away. Atem's eyes widened. _That's right! My week-long suspension is already up! I can't be seen at school like this! _the former Pharaoh panicked, frantically looking around.

He left the bathroom and rushed to his and Yugi's bedroom, quickly looking for things to use to hide his changes. He grabbed a pair of black gloves, a black scarf, a blue winter hat that Yugi had gotten him, and his gold sunglasses, putting them on before grabbing his bag and rushing downstairs. "I'm ready!" he said, running into the shop. Yugi looked at him and crossed his arms. "Atem..." he said, taking a tone that Atem knew too well from all the times the younger male lectured him after a prank or some other trouble.

"Aibou, I know what you're thinking... please, just let me wear them! I can't have the others seeing me like this!" he said, moving his scarf down for his counterpart and their grandfather to see his teeth. "Atem, I know you're scared what the others will think, but you can't hide it forever... it's a part of you, one that you just don't understand yet..." said the slightly shorter male, a look of sympathy on his face. "Aibou, I'm not taking any fucking chances!" said Atem, quickly pulling his scarf back up and heading out the door. Yugi sighed and followed behind, waving goodbye to their grandfather.

Atem and Yugi rushed to school, entering just as it began to rain. "Phew, we made it..." said Yugi, breathing a sigh of relief as they reached their classroom. "Yes, it's really pouring out..." said Atem, jumping slightly as some lightning flashed across the sky. He ignored the strange looks some of their classmates were giving him, though his friends thankfully just chalked up his accessories to the wind that had come with the storm.

"So, when do you guys think the rain will stop?" asked Duke, looking outside as they waited for the teacher. "Who knows? The news said it was going to be raining all day..." said Téa, looking at her phone. Joey groaned and laid his head on his desk. "Just great... and here I was supposed to meet Serenity at the park after school! Now we're gonna have to cancel!" he said, upset about having to cancel the meeting he and his little sister had been planning for the past two weeks. "You can always move it to next week dude..." said Tristan, rolling his eyes. They all turned their attention to the front when the teacher entered and began teaching.

Soon the bell rang to signal free time and Atem began a small duel with Joey, easily taking the lead against the blonde. "You just wiped out my Baby Dragon!" said Joey, taking said card and throwing it in the ever growing Graveyard pile he had on his desk. Atem chuckled, then spun around when Kori entered the room. _Don't come over here, don't come over here-_ "Hey Atem!" said Kori, crushing the former spirit's silent pleas to not be noticed. The bully stomped over and yanked Atem to his feet.

"It's time you pay for last time!" Kori said as Atem struggled. "Let me go Kori! Leave me alone!" said Atem, kicking the taller male in the stomach. Kori roughly dropped him, forcing Atem's hat, sunglasses, and scarf to fall off. Several gasps were heard as Atem sat up, ripping his gloves off and feeling his head to make sure he wasn't bleeding from the fall. "What the hell are you!? Some kind of Duel Monster!? You're a freak!" said Kori, shock and disgust on his face. Atem looked around, seeing dozens of frightened faces around him.

"I-I can explain-!" he said, feeling a panic attack coming on. "Explain what!? You don't belong here freak!" said Kori, towering over the former Pharaoh. "That. Is. ENOUGH!" said Atem, red and gold magic bursting from him and knocking the bully, as well as blasting several desks away from him. Atem got to his feet as he let his magic run wild, his hair growing to the floor and black markings appearing all over his body. "Atem!?" shouted Yugi, covering his eyes from the blinding light of the magic.

The magic began to fade, leaving a wild-looking Atem in it's wake. "Atem?" asked Yugi carefully, taking a step towards him. Atem's attention snapped to him and the former pharaoh hissed, then turned his attention to Kori. "Laqad hajamtni lilmarat al'akhirata!*" he shouted, preparing to attack Kori with a powerful magic blast. "ATEM, DON'T!" shouted Yugi, running over and placing himself between Atem and the bully. Atem's eyes widened and his magic sparked out as he screeched and grabbed his head, as if fighting with himself.

The former Pharaoh backed away from everyone, then turned and busted through one of the windows, running off as soon as he landed despite the pouring rain. "Atem!" shouted Joey from the window. "What was that all about!?" asked Ryou, shocked. He then noticed something on the ground and knelt to pick it up. He realized it was a Duel Monster card and, turning it over, his eyes widened. "Yugi, those markings on Atem... I thought they looked familiar!" he said, giving the card to Yugi. The shorter male looked at it and his eyes widened.

"Of course! This is the answer we've been searching for! Come on!" he said, he and his friends rushing out of the school. "What's going on Yug!? What's that card!?" asked Duke as they ran through the rain. "Remember the dreams Atem's been having!? The man he keeps seeing in them!?" said Yugi, not looking behind him. "Yeah, what about them!?" asked Tristan. "This card IS that man! This card IS Atem's mother!" said Yugi, tossing the card back for his friends to see. "I thought the description sounded familiar! We have to get to Atem and show him! After all, only Atem and I have that particular card, and we used it back in Duelist Kingdom!" he explained. _I just hope he remembers!_

**Done with this chappy! And we now have another clue as to who Atem's mother is! Hmm... I think things are beginning to add up guys... what do you think? Have you figured it out? Let me know if you did!**

*** I couldn't find a good way to translate this phrase to Ancient Egyptian, so I translated it to Arabic instead since in modern times Arabic is the most spoken language in Egypt. The phrase he's saying is "You have attacked me for the last time!"**

**Please R&R!**

**Until next time, Icy is out!**


	9. Brothers?

**Hey y'all! Welcome back to A Mother's Love! This story is coming to a head! This will be the chapter where I reveal my plot twist! I'm not revealing the true identity of Atem's mother for another couple of chapters or so. So strap in folks! Grab your popcorn, sodas, plushies and everything you can because it's about to get real!**

**Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and it's characters are owned by Takahashi Kazuki-sama. I only own the plot and headcanons found in this story.**

"Shit! We lost him!" said Tristan as the group stopped and looked around. "We need to split up! Cover more ground!" said Ryou over the rain. "Hey! Yugi!" said a voice. Yugi and them turned to find Marik, Rex, and Mako running towards them. "What's going on?" asked Rex as they came to a stop. "It's Atem! He's fully awakened his second nature and run off! Now we can't find him!" said Téa. "What!? We'll help look! Call if you find him!" said Marik. Yugi nodded and the large group split up, Marik going with Yugi, Tristan, Joey and Ryou while Rex and Mako went with Tristan, Téa, and Duke.

Atem, meanwhile, was quickly making his way through the city. He rushed down several alleys, following his heightened senses. Suddenly a familiar scent reached him and he skidded to a stop, sniffing the air. A low growl escaped him as he recognized the smell. _I know that expensive cologne anywhere... Kaiba's nearby... _he thought, growling again as he sped off in the direction the scent was coming from. Climbing on top of a building he quickly finds Kaiba and Mokuba walking below him. He jumps down and lands in front of them in a crouched position, slowly standing up.

"A-Atem!?" asked Mokuba, his eyes wide. "Mokuba, get behind me..." said Kaiba calmly, moving between them as his eyes never left the former Pharaoh before them. Atem watched the brunette's movements carefully, growling slightly and briefly looking at the scars on the blue-eyed man's face. "Atem, we mean you no harm... I know about your dreams and your awakening... if you just-" Atem hissed and lunged at the brunette, who quickly dodged by taking a step back with Mokuba.

"Atem, listen! We're not going to hurt you!" said Mokuba, obviously frightened by how the older male was acting. Atem growled, his eyes briefly looking at Mokuba before returning to Kaiba and lunging again. This time, however, his claws were blocked by a familiar green scepter. "Enough of this!" shouted the Dark Magician, pushing back against Atem and sending him skidding a good couple of feet back.

"Atem, stop this please!" asked the mage. "I do not wish to fight you! You must remember! You must!" he said, his ice blue eyes meeting Atem's oxblood ones. The former spirit lunged again, once again being blocked by the mage as Yugi's group arrives. "There he is!" said Joey, Tristan quickly calling the others. "Kaiba! Mokuba!" shouted Ryou, spotting the brothers and running over. "What's going on!?" he asked, turning his attention back to the former Pharaoh and the mage as they began battling.

"Atem attacked us while Seto and I were walking! Mahad stopped him and now they're fighting!" said Mokuba, staying slightly behind his older brother as he watched the scene unfold. "Atem's fully awakened his second nature, so it's no wonder he attacked you!" said Yugi as the other group finally joined them. "Yeah, well, it seems like Mahad might be somehow connected to it..." said Rex, the others turning to him. "What do you mean?" asked Mokuba.

"Atem spoke with us a while back about his dreams while the rest of you were in school, or recovering in your case Kaiba... he noticed that Mahad was present in every single dream and realized that he was somehow connected to everything..." said Mako, crossing his arms. "Yes... and from what we're witnessing it seems like that assumption was correct... and Mahad is trying to get Atem to remember something important..." said Marik, turning his attention back to the battle.

Atem lunged at the amethyst-clad mage, who jumped back and launched a Dark Magic Attack at him, only for him to dodge in return. "Atem, I do not wish to fight you my Pharaoh! Please, you must remember!" shouted the mage, blocking more attacks from the shorter male. Atem was relentless however, and eventually managed to knock Mahad's scepter away and kick him in the stomach before pouncing on him and pinning him to the ground. Atem raised his hand and brought it down, the mage grabbing it just in time as Atem's claws were inches from his face. "REMEMBER! SN*!"

Atem froze, his eyes widening. The others could almost see the gears in his head turning as he processed what he just heard come from the mage's mouth. After a couple of minutes it clicked and he removed himself from on top of Mahad, allowing the spellcaster to sit up. Atem sat on the ground cross-legged, the expression on his face a mixture of contemplation and surprise. He blinked once, twice, then suddenly a memory came to him.

_*flashback*_

_The sound of an infant crying echoed through the palace, signaling to everyone who heard it that the wait was over. In the bedchambers of the Pharaoh the familiar figure of the blue-skinned man lay in the bed, tired. By the bedside sat the Pharaoh Aknamkanon himself, smiling softly. "You did it... our second born is here..." he said, holding the other male's hand. The red-eyed male in bed smiled back tiredly. "And I thought this time it would be easier..." he joked, Aknamkanon chuckling._

_The doctor who had helped with the birth brought the crying infant over in a bundle of blankets. "Another boy my Queen and Pharaoh..." he said, handing the bundle to the blue-skinned male and bowing. The two males smiled down at the bundle. "He's beautiful..." the red-eyed male said, tears pricking his eyes. In the bundle of blankets was a baby boy with a mess of black hair like his mother, only the infant's was tipped with magenta and his bangs were blonde. His skin was bronze-colored like his father, and when he opened his eyes the two saw he had the most unusual eye color, a bright oxblood color._

"_Hello my son..." said Aknamkanon, the infant calming down and cooing up at them. The two older males looked up as a small figure shyly peeked in at them. Aknamkanon smiled and gestured to him. "Mahad, come in my son... come say hello to your baby sn..." he said, the auburn-haired 6-year-old perking up and running over, climbing onto the bed to get a good look at the newest member of the family._

"_I have a new sn?" he asked, looking up at his parents. The blue-skinned male nodded."Mahad, meet you new sn Atem..." he said, shifting so Mahad could see the infant. Mahad looked at the smaller boy in awe. "He's so tiny..." he said, the two older males laughing slightly. "Of course he is, he was just born my son..." said Aknamkanon. "Would you like to hold him?" asked the red-eyed man. Earning a nod from the ice-eyed boy he gently handed the infant to the 6-year-old, who sat crossed-legged on the bed as he held the new prince carefully. Oxblood met ice and Atem giggled, reaching up to the older male._

_Mahad smiled and gently hugged the younger prince. "Do not worry little sn... I will always protect you..."_

_*end flashback*_

Atem's pupils slowly returned to normal from their cat-like state, looking up slowly at the lavender-haired male now standing before him. A small smile graced the mage's lips as oxblood met ice blue. The group watched, waiting to see what would happen. Finally, after what felt like hours when it was only mere minutes, Atem spoke. It wasn't a shout, but it was loud enough for them to hear and it wasn't a full sentence, but a single word. While everyone but Marik had no idea what the word "sn" meant, they fully understood the meaning of the word spoken by Atem.

"... Nii-san?*"

**DONE! The plot twist is revealed! Atem and Mahad (in my headcanon at least) are related!**

*** I mentioned the word "sn" a couple of chapters ago and can finally reveal what it means! According to my research, "sn" is the Ancient Egyptian word for "brother". Everyone who watches the Japanese versions of anime will know that "Nii-san" means "older brother" or "big brother", and since canonically Mahad is 6 years older than Atem (Mahad is 22 while Atem is supposed to be 16), it would make Mahad Atem's older brother in my headcanon!**

**But we're not done yet folks! We still have a few more chapters before I reveal the true identity of Atem and Mahad's mother! So stay tuned!**

**Please R&R!**

**Until next time, Icy is out!**


	10. Mother!

**Hey y'all, welcome back to A Mother's Love! Welp, I'm gonna have to reveal the identity of Atem and Mahad's mother sooner than I thought because a guest reviewer reminded my dumbass that I put the answer in the summary/description of the story -_-. Derpity derp. Oh well, best reveal it now. Hope you guys have enjoyed the story thus far. There's only going to be a couple of chapters left after this!**

**Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and it's characters belong to Takahashi Kazuki-sama. I only own the plot and headcanons found in this story.**

The amethyst-clad mage smiled and held out a hand, helping Atem to his feet. "Wait, you two are brothers!?" asked Tristan as the group walked over to them. Mahad nodded. "6 years after I was born our mother gave birth to Atem... I was excited about the prospect of having a little brother to play with and protect, and I happily welcomed him with open arms..." said the mage, smiling. "But, if you were the first born, why did Atem become Pharaoh and you didn't?" asked Rex, frowning. "The answer is simple: I gave up my birthright to be Pharaoh..." said Mahad, shock appearing on everyone else's faces.

"Is that even possible!?" asked Mokuba. "Yes... I remember now... Mahad had been in line to take the throne after Father, but he stepped back and announced that I would take the throne instead... he felt I would be a better ruler, and felt he would do a better job protecting me as a priest than as Pharaoh..." explained Atem. "And I did promise Mother that I would always protect you... both as a priest and as the Dark Magician..." said Mahad, smiling.

Yugi suddenly remembered why they had been trying to find Atem in the first place and took the card from Joey. "I almost forgot! Atem, we know who your mother is!" he said, smiling. "You do Aibou!?" said Atem, shocked. Yugi nodded. "The man you've been seeing in your dreams is in fact your mother, and this card is him!" he said, handing the card to Atem. One look at it and the former Pharaoh's eyes widened. "T-This is..." "That's right! Your mother was none other than the Magician of Black Chaos!" said Yugi, grinning.

_It all makes perfect sense... now I know why the man in my dreams seemed so damn familiar! My mother was the very Duel Monster who helped me save Grandpa from Pegasus! _Atem thought, looking at the card in his hands. The image of a blue-skinned, red-eyed male magician with long black hair and in black leather garbs stared back at him. Before he realized it a tear landed on the card, all the memories of his mother hitting him full force... including when his father and the priests had to seal the mage in a stone tablet just to ensure his soul lived on after the attack.

"Atem?" asked Téa, snapping the former spirit out of his trance. He quickly wiped the tears away, his features slowly returning to normal. "I..." he couldn't find the words to describe how he was feeling. There were so many emotions going through him at once. Mokuba took the card and looked at it. "... is there any way to get him out?" he asked, everyone looking at him stunned. "You know, like how Mahad can freely roam outside of his card! Seto and I know what it's like to not have a mom, and I think you've gone without yours for long enough!" the young raven-haired male said.

"M-Mokuba..." said Atem, touched by the thought. "Hmm..." said Kaiba, taking the card and looking at it. "Perhaps if we combined KaibaCorp technology with the power of a couple of Millennium Items we could give the Magician of Black Chaos new life... a life outside of Duel Monsters..." the brunette thought outloud. "Kaiba, that's genius! With my Millennium Rod and Yugi's Millennium Puzzle, we'll have enough magic to combine with your tech to perform the ritual!" said Marik, holding up his Millennium Item. Kaiba nodded. "Mokuba, call out helicopter to pick us up at the nearby docks..." he said, the younger male nodding and leading the way to the docks.

"Kaiba, wait..." said Atem, hanging back a bit. The blue-eyed male turned and looked at him. Atem glanced at the scars on the other male's face. "I... wanted to apologize... for..." he reached up and touched his own face, hoping his message would get across. "Don't. You had no control, so there's no need to apologize... if you're really sorry, then you can make it up to me with a duel later..." said the brunette, turning back around but not before the oxblood-eyed male caught the smirk on his face. Atem smirked and chuckled. "Deal!" he said, the two rushing to catch up with the others.

Soon they were boarding the helicopter and on their way to the warehouse where all KaibaCorp tech was tested. "So, can you tell us more about your mother?" asked Ryou, looking at the brothers. Mahad smiled softly. "Mother was once a Feral Ka... one with no Ba and therefore no master... he had been causing so much chaos for the kingdom, until one day..." he closed his eyes as he relayed the story their parents had told him when he was four:

_Loud snarls were heard as the doors to the throne room opened, guards pulling a chained up male into said room. The male was a Ka, a magician with pitch black hair and blood-red eyes that resembled rubies. He was clad in leather and he struggled against the chains that bound him. One of the guards stepped forward and kneeled. "My Pharaoh! We've finally managed to capture the Feral Ka!" he said, bowing his head._

_Sitting on the throne was a man with graying hair, and on either side of him standing were two males: his elder son Aknamkanon, who had bluish-gray eyes and brown hair, and his younger son Aknadin, who shared his eye color with his brother but had black hair. Aknamkanon's sight immediately locked onto the chained mage as his father spoke. "Where did you manage to capture him?" asked the Pharaoh, standing. "On the east side of the city my Pharaoh... he put up a fight, as several of our men were injured before we finally managed to chain him..." explained the guard, flinching back when the magician snarled and tried lunging at him._

"_Take him to the dungeons... he will remain there until the stone tablet for him is ready..." ordered the Pharaoh, watching as the guards did as they were told. "Father, with all due respect, is sealing him away really necessary? We could teach him to be civilized..." said Aknamkanon, his brother scoffing. "He's Feral! He's hurt dozens! And you want to TAME him!?" said Aknadin, glaring at his brother. "Aknadin!" their father said sternly, then looked at his eldest. "... you have one week Aknamkanon... if he is not at least semi-tamed then he will be sealed away..." he said, the elder son bowing. "Yes father..."_

"Wow, your dad was given only a week!?" asked Mokuba, he and the others listening intently. Mahad nodded. "Father was a kind man, and eventually managed to win Mother's trust... When Mother proved that he could be civil with humans, our Grandfather allowed him to stay at the palace with them... It took a few years, but Father eventually began courting Mother to be his consort, and obviously you know how well that went, otherwise Atem and I wouldn't be here..." Mahad said, laughing slightly.

"I never knew Mother was Feral..." said Atem, looking at his older brother. "They would've told you eventually, but they never got the chance..." the mage explained, smiling sadly. "Well, as lovely of a story as that was, it's time we got back to reality... we're here..." said Kaiba, the helicopter landing outside of the KaibaCorp warehouse. They all got out and headed into the building, Kaiba leading them to the room they would be using. "Alright... the rest of you get into the observation deck... Yugi, Marik, get on either side of the machine and get ready to use your magic when I give the signal..." he said, the others nodding. "Pardon me imi-ib, but perhaps Atem and I should participate as well... with our natural magic, it could make it easier to perform the ritual without putting so much strain on Yugi and Marik... Plus, our mother will recognize out magic..." said Mahad, Atem nodding.

"Alright, get into your positions..." he said, walking over to a machine and putting the card into it. "Ready?" he asked, the four magic users all nodding. He pressed some buttons on the machine, which whirred to life. "Ok... NOW!" shouted Kaiba, slamming his fist on a button as all four magic users began channeling their magic to the center of the room, the magic gathering into a bright light. "Keep going!" said Marik, having to hold his Millennium Rod with both hands due to the amount of magic he was using. Yugi nodded, though was obviously having trouble as he was the least experienced with his Millennium Item's magic.

"I have to go help!" said Ryou, running from the observation deck and into the room. He stopped and began channeling the power of his Millennium Ring, adding it's own magic to the mix. "Almost-!" all five males let out a shout as all of the magic and energy collected into a ball and burst outward, knocking them all back into the walls of the room. "Did we do it?" asked Marik, looking towards the center of the room. The blast had caused a cloud of smoke, but as it began to clear everyone could see a figure standing there.

The smoke finally cleared enough to properly see the figure, and everyone nearly leapt for joy. Standing in the center of the room, eyes closed and arms crossed, was the Magician of Black Chaos. At first the mage did nothing, simply standing like a statue, then he slowly let out a breath, uncrossing his arms as he felt the stiffness leave him. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up, taking in his surroundings. Atem and Mahad moved so they were in his line of sight. "M... Mwt?" asked Atem carefully. The black-clad spellcaster looked blankly at them for a moment, then the softest of smiles graced his lips.

"It's been too long... my sons..."

**DONE! I think I'll do one more regular chapter, then an epilogue of sorts. But yeah, for those who didn't figure it out or those who didn't read the full summary/description, Atem and Mahad's mother is the Magician of Black Chaos! It just made sense to me :3.**

**Please R&R**

**Until next time, Icy is out!**


	11. Starting Anew

**Hey y'all! Welcome back to A Mother's Love! This will be the last actual chapter, then there will only be the epilogue left to write! I love writing this story, and next time I won't be an idiot and put the answer in the summary/description. I'll try and stay away from writing stories where there's supposed to be a big reveal for a while. Anyhoodles, let's jump into this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and it's characters belong to Takahashi Kazuki-sama. I only own the plot and headcanons found in this story.**

"MWT!" said Atem, smiling and running to the blue-skinned mage. The Magician of Black Chaos dropped his staff and held out his arms, embracing the former Pharaoh as the others joined them in the center of the room. "Oh, my little Kuriboh... It's so good to see you again..." said the black-clad magician, stepping back a bit to get a good look at Atem before looking at Mahad. "Look how much you've both changed... I've been gone much too long..." he continued, gently wiping the tears the threatened to spill from Atem's eyes. "Mwt... we missed you so much..." he said, hugging his mother once again.

"And I've missed you too... both of you..." the mage said, embracing Mahad when he stepped forward. "It's been over 5000 years since we were last together like this... If only Father were here..." said the lavender-haired mage. Magician of Black Chaos nodded, then noticed Kaiba amongst the group. "Set?" he asked, blinking in surprise. Mahad chuckled. "Not exactly Mother... This is Seto Kaiba, Set's reincarnation... and my boyfriend..." he said as Kaiba stepped forward and took his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you... Allow my friends and I to officially and properly welcome you to Domino City, Japan..." said Kaiba, bowing slightly.

"Japan you say? My, we are quite far from home..." the red-eyed spellcaster said, smiling. "I must say though, your resemblance to Set is almost uncanny... I guess love really does transcend time..." A teasing smirk appeared on his face. "Tell me, Seto Kaiba... have you been treating my eldest well?" he asked, the Dark Magician's face turning slightly pink. "M-Mother... p-please don't..." "I have nothing but respect and love for Mahad..." Kaiba stated, holding the amethyst-clad mage close. "Good to hear... and don't think you can easily hide things from me Mahad dear... I may have been stuck in a stone tablet for the majority of your lives, but don't think I didn't see it whenever you and Set snuck away for your little rendezvous~..." the elder mage said, Mahad's face turning bright red.

"MOTHER! There's a child present!" the blue-eyed spellcaster said, the others laughing while Mokuba stood there with a confused expression. "What's he talking about Seto?" he asked. "I'll tell you when you're older Mokuba..." said the elder Kaiba brother, kissing Mahad's cheek. Yugi chuckled, then grabbed Magician of Black Chaos' hand. "You can stay with me, Atem and Grandpa!" he said excitedly. "Aibou, that's a great idea! You can be Yugi's mother too!" said Atem, Yugi turning red. "T-That's not necessary-!" he stammered, but the black-clad mage smiled softly. "I would love to..." he said.

"Alright, Alright! As much fun as this is, can we catch up on the way to get a bite to eat!? I'm starvin'!" said Joey, his stomach growling loudly. Marik laughed. "Follow me, I know just the place!" he said, grinning. "We can get Magician of Black Chaos some modern clothing too! So he doesn't stand out like a sore thumb!" said Rex as they left. Yugi laughed as they got in the limo waiting for them. "Say, do you have a name we can call you? 'Magician of Black Chaos' is a bit of a mouthful..." said Ryou politely.

The blue-skinned mage smiled. "I do, but it's much to complicated to say..." he said, and before he could continue Atem spoke up. "Well, technically he's gonna be Yugi's new mother in addition to being mine and Mahad's, so you guys can just call him 'Mr. Muto' from now on..." said the former spirit, smiling. "Yeah, and it won't be confusing since a lot of you already call our grandfather 'Grandpa' anyways..." said Yugi, giggling. Magician of Black Chaos smiled and hugged Yugi. "You know, I always did wish for another son... and you're so adorable~!" he said, causing Yugi to blush. "U-Um, t-thanks?" the amethyst-eyed teen said, earning laughter from the group.

After a good meal and some clothes shopping, as well as dropping the others off at their respective homes (or the museum in Marik's case), Kaiba's limo stopped outside the Muto Game Shop to allow Atem, Yugi, and Magician of Black Chaos out. "Are you sure you don't wish to join us Mahad?" asked the older mage. Mahad chuckled from his place beside Kaiba. "Forgive me Mother, but I'll be spending the night with Seto..." he said. "Like always..." muttered Atem, Yugi rolling his eyes. "Alright, just try not to have too much fun~..." he said, winking. "MOTHER!" yelled Mahad, blushing deeply as the limo pulled away.

Atem chuckled as the three of them entered the shop. "Grandpa, we're home!" said Yugi, entering the back of the shop and into the living room of their home. "Ah, welcome home! How was-" Solomon stopped when he saw who was with the two teens. "I-It can't be... y-you're..." he stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence. "Grandpa, I want you to meet my mother, the Magician of Black Chaos..." said Atem, gesturing to the mage who was now in a pair of dark jeans and a black turtleneck sweater, his magician hat gone. "He's going to be living with us from now on, and he'll be acting as Yugi's mother now too..." the former Pharaoh explained. Solomon looked at the teens and back at the mage, then crossed his arms.

"Well, it's about time I got some help around here! Do you know how hard it is to watch over these two!? And don't get me started on their magic!" he said. Yugi and Atem groaned while the red-eyed mage chuckled. "Well, you won't have to look after them alone anymore..." he said, smiling. Solomon smiled back. "Well, it's nice to meet you-... I'm sorry, I don't know your name..." he said, shaking the mage's hand. The mage smiled. "Yugi and Atem call me 'Mother', and their friends will be calling me 'Mr. Muto', but you yourself can call me Bakari*..." he said. Solomon nodded. "alright Bakari... welcome to the family..."

**Done with this chapter! Just the epilogue left! I'm so excited!**

*** "Bakari" is a name of Egyptian origin I found when I was trying to find Egyptian names for characters in an RP I'm doing with a friend. According to the site I found it on, it means "noble oath", which kinda makes sense since as the Queen of Egypt the Magician of Black Chaos had an oath to protect the people and as a mother he had an oath to protect his children.**

**Please R&R!**

**Until next time, Icy is out!**


	12. Epilogue

**Hey y'all! Welcome back to A Mother's Love! This is the final chapter guys! It may not be as long as the others, so it'll be a bit quicker to read through. I really hoped you guys enjoyed the story! There will be more coming soon!**

**Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and it's characters belong to Takahashi Kazuki-sama. I only own the plot and headcanons in this story.**

"Come on Atem! We're going to be late!" said Yugi, waiting by their bedroom door. "Coming Aibou!" said the older male, hopping on one foot as he got his other shoe on before following his younger doppelganger down the stairs. "Grandpa! Mom! We're heading to the mall!" shouted Yugi as he and Atem rushed through the living room and out through the game shop. "Don't be out too late!" Bakari shouted after them, shaking his head with a smile. _Those two are always in a rush..._ he thought, chuckling.

Yugi and Atem ran through the streets, taking shortcuts when they could in order to get to the mall faster. "We're almost there!" shouted Atem, the two making it to their destination and rushing inside. "We're here!" said Yugi as they found their friends outside of the theater that the mall had. "What took you so long!? The movie's about to start!" said Joey, watching as the two shorter males caught their breath. "All night study session for finals... overslept..." said Atem, stretching.

"Good grief..." said Téa, rolling her eyes. "You know finals aren't until NEXT week, right?" she asked, her hands on her hips. "Well, Atem and I want to be prepared!" said Yugi as he and the former Pharaoh straightened up. "Alright, enough grilling them guys... we have a movie to catch!" said Duke, smiling. They all agreed and went into the theater to get their tickets. "By the way, how's your ma doin'? He adjustin' to the modern era?" asked Joey. Yugi nodded. "He is! Very well I might add! Man, I can't believe it's been almost 6 months since he came to live with us!" he said as they bought their tickets.

"Good! Glad to hear he's adjusting well... did he ever say why he threw himself in front of that Shadow Ghoul?" asked Ryou. "A mother's love is a powerful thing Ryou... many mothers are willing to sacrifice everything for their children... even their lives..." said Atem. "Well, at least he's back with you!" said Tristan, then blinked as he looked over. "Hey, check it out! We're not the only ones here to see the new movie!" he said, pointing. Sure enough, nearby was Kaiba and Mahad, the mage wearing jeans and a purple sweater to better blend in. "Yo, moneybags!" shouted Joey, waving. Kaiba and Mahad looked over, then approached the group. "Yugi, mind keeping your mutt under control?" the brunette asked, smirking as it got a reaction out of the blonde. "Why you-!" he said, having to be held back by Ryou and Marik.

Atem laughed. "It's good to see you too Kaiba..." he said, then looked around. "Where's Mokuba?" he asked, surprised at not seeing the raven-haired male. "Mokuba's helping the KaibaCorp scientists with some new technology... we invited him to join us, but he said he wants to be sure it works before doing anything relaxing... Reminds me of someone else I know~..." said Mahad, smirking and glancing at Kaiba. "Oh please, you know I make plenty of time for you and Mokuba... I don't lose myself in my work as much as I used to..." said the blue-eyed male, crossing his arms.

Mahad laughed slightly. "I know imi-ib... and I'm thankful for it..." he said, kissing Kaiba's cheek. "Alright, enough of that mushy lovey-dovey stuff! We got a movie to see!" said Marik, finally releasing Joey. "Agreed... on the movie part..." said Kaiba, quickly pecking Mahad on the lips before the two headed to the screen the movie would be on. "I swear, one of these days I'll- …... hey, wait a minute..." said Joey, thinking.

"What is it now Joey?" asked Duke, frowning. "I just realized somethin'... Atem, you said your cousin Set looked a lot like Kaiba, right?" asked the blonde. "Yes? What about Set?" asked Atem, curious about where this was going. "Well, Set was your cousin... and since Mahad's your brother, that would also make Set-... EW GROSS! YOUR BROTHER WAS SCREWING YOUR COUSIN!" said Joey, a look of shock on his face as he finally put the pieces together. Atem burst out laughing. "You make it sound like a bad thing!" he said. "Dude, nobody can screw their family like that!" said the blonde. Atem shook his head, still chuckling. "Maybe not around here in this era, but back in Ancient Egypt is was actually very common, and even encouraged in some cases, for the Pharaoh and the royal family to marry within itself... the Pharaoh was seen as the son of Ra, and to keep the bloodline pure Pharaohs often took their own sisters, cousins, and occasionally mothers as wives*... so Mahad and Set being together wasn't looked at strangely like it would've been today..." the former Pharaoh explained.

"B-But..." said Joey, confusion now on his face. Yugi laughed and the group began heading to the movie screen. "H-Hey, wait up!" said Joey, running after them.

**Done! And wow, it actually is almost as long as my other chapters. *shrugs * oh well. I hope you guys enjoyed the story!**

***this is no joke. I looked at several sites while doing research on Ancient Egypt for my stories and all the sites had this information on them XD.**

**Please R&R!**

**Until next time, Icy is out!**


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